News & Updates

City of Carrollton Launches Use of Nextdoor, the Private Social Network for Neighborhoods

Posted Date: 8/15/2013 8:15 AM

City of Carrollton Launches Use of Nextdoor, the Private Social Network for Neighborhoods

Carrollton, TX – The City of Carrollton is pleased to announce that it will be using Nextdoor (nextdoor.com), the private social network for neighborhoods, to foster neighbor-to-neighbor and citywide communication. Nextdoor enables Carrollton residents to communicate online in private, secure websites to build stronger communities, get to know neighbors, ask questions, and exchange local advice and recommendations. For example, neighbors use Nextdoor to share information about neighborhood watch and safety issues, local events, locate a babysitter, school activities, upcoming garage sales, lost pets, recommend local businesses, and much more.

Technology has been blamed for distancing people and for the decline of interpersonal contact, but several Carrollton neighborhoods have seen how technology can help bring people together in a big way. Amy Ruggles, a Neighborhood Crime Watch Block Leader for the Woodgate Neighborhood in Carrollton, formed a Nextdoor website for her neighborhood in March 2013. Since then, she has seen a sharp decrease in crime and an increase in involvement, stating, “We currently have over 60% of the households in our neighborhood using our Woodgate Neighborhood Nextdoor website. We have never had this high of a response rate before in our organization.”

Tanya Ferencak, Sr. Community Development Specialist for the City of Carrollton, said, “We believe healthier and more engaged communities creates a stronger City. We love seeing the collaboration and problem solving going on with the neighborhoods using Nextdoor. We are always looking for new and innovative ways for neighborhoods to come together to build healthier communities. At a time when most people drive up, press the button on their garage door opener, then drive in the garage and shut the door, Nextdoor offers a fresh opportunity for neighborly communication.”

The City of Carrollton will be able to post important information about upcoming Neighborhood programs, grants and crime and safety updates to Nextdoor sites within the City. The City will not be able to access the resident’s websites, contact information, or content. “We really love the autonomy that Nextdoor gives to individual neighborhoods,” said Ferencak. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor website. Information shared on Nextdoor is only visible to verified members.

“Nextdoor has been a wonderful venue to promote our Neighborhood Enhancement Matching Grant project,” said Pat Cochran, President of the Savoy of Josey Ranch Neighborhood. “We have been able to bring in more volunteers and generate support for our beautification project with the help of our Nextdoor Neighborhood website.” Like other social networking sites, once you create a home page on Nextdoor you can view profiles of others in the network and begin posting and communicating with them. Cochran added, “I also was able to find three much needed cat carriers to take my cats to an emergency vet visit. All I had to do was post my request on Nextdoor and in under an hour I had one of my neighbors drop off his extra carriers. It was amazing how fast it all happened.”

The City of Carrollton has been mapped into 84 different neighborhoods. Visit nextdoor.com and enter your address. If Nextdoor is available in your area, you can immediately sign up. If a Nextdoor website has not yet been established for your area, active and engaged neighbors are invited to apply to bring Nextdoor to the neighborhood. Get started on building a stronger community today. For more information about how the City of Carrollton is using Nextdoor, please visitcityofcarrollton.com/comdevelopment or call 972-466-4299.